Hot Box idea

Here's my problem. We use a programmable thermostat to keep our house at 20 C (68 F) during the mornings, evenings, and weekends, and drop to 15 C (59 F) during the daytime when we're at work and at night. This just about cuts our heating bills in half. Since I started brewing again I temporarily upped the daytime/night temp to 18 C (64 F).

To save on heating I would really like to get this back down, and I would also like to set up my brewing in the basement which is usually a couple degrees cooler.

I was thinking about building an insulated box big enough for about a half dozen buckets & carboys and install some sort of heater and thermostat. Does anyone see a problem with using one of those heating light bulbs you see in some bathrooms? I believe they are in the lower infrared end of the spectrum so shouldn't harm the beer right?

They make heating pads that also work well. I think if you insulate the box well, you should have no problem getting 5F above ambient. Sounds crazy, but I bet you could find a non-functioning chest freezer for free and it would work fantastically. People are trying to get rid of them all the time.....not sure if Canada has Craigslist and Freecycle...but you could look around.

OOOHHHHHHHh that kind of hot box. My Bad. I was having flashbacks from college reading the title.

I did the same sort of thing with my fridge that broke a couple weeks ago, works pretty well.

ScubaSteve said:

They make heating pads that also work well. I think if you insulate the box well, you should have no problem getting 5F above ambient. Sounds crazy, but I bet you could find a non-functioning chest freezer for free and it would work fantastically. People are trying to get rid of them all the time.....not sure if Canada has Craigslist and Freecycle...but you could look around.

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Interesting idea... We do have Craigslist, but it doesn't seem as popular around here as it is down there.

Look around and see if you can find a drum heater that fits your carboy. I use them on my keg fermentor and they work great. Here's an example: http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/3CDA3?Pid=search

Grainger has a boatload of different types and sizes. More expensive than a heating blanket, but they're made for constant operation and durability.

I have my fermentation room in the basement with a very small forced air heater and line voltage thermostat. We keep our home at 65*F during the day, 62*F at night and 50* when not at home.

My room isn't usable for much besides storage and measures 6'H x 6'W x 10'L. It used to be the coal room but now sports brewing. I used 2" rigid foam insulation on all surfaces and It works very well.

At any rate, you can use any heat source with a line voltage thermostat. I wouldn't use a heat lamp, the heat would not be transferred around your hot box very well.

I have a small closet, that I ferment in in the winter. I use a ceramic heater that I got years ago. You can set it to desired ambient temp and it will turn off when it reaches it. That was the easiest solution for me.

tonkota said:

At any rate, you can use any heat source with a line voltage thermostat. I wouldn't use a heat lamp, the heat would not be transferred around your hot box very well.

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My plan was to use a line voltage thermostat for sure. I do have a small space heater I could use, but was worried it would be too much for a 4'x3'x3' (ish) box even with a line voltage thermostat.

Guntr said:

My plan was to use a line voltage thermostat for sure. I do have a small space heater I could use, but was worried it would be too much for a 4'x3'x3' (ish) box even with a line voltage thermostat.

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That is a pretty small space. You will not need much wattage if the box is insulated well. You might pickup 20' of heat cable (~5W/foot) which would be about 100W. You could weave the cable around the box and have great distribution.

http://www.acehardwareoutlet.com/(k...uctdetails.aspx?sku=3037744&source=GoogleBase

BTW, I put this in my dogs house and poured concrete over it for winter time heat. He rarely comes out of his house

I use a line voltage thermostat and a light bulb. The light bulb is covered in aluminum foil to protect the beer from light and I have a PC fan to keep the air moving and all the same temp. This is all inside a frame and pink foam cabinet.

Oh, and if I were to do it again, I'd add a chamber on the back that held the light bulb (no worry about light). The PC fan would suck air through the chamber from the bottom and blow it out where the light bulb is now. The chamber could also be used with ice bottles for cooling in the summer.

I use a 12v transformer for the fan, and when I rebuild this, that transformer will also feed an electronic furnace thermostat instead of this dial type. I can keep my beer at a steady temp, but the dial type thermostat I have has about a 15* range. It kicks on, and doesn't kick off until 15* above when it kicked on. It was free and it does work though.

And...keep your light bulb at least 4" from the foam, more if possible.

Nice box from Hoquiam, my folks live north of you in Forks.

you should be able to pick up a digital thermostat online for about $15.

KiltedCorpse said:

I use a line voltage thermostat and a light bulb. The light bulb is covered in aluminum foil to protect the beer from light and I have a PC fan to keep the air moving and all the same temp. This is all inside a frame and pink foam cabinet.

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This is almost exactly what I was thinking about. Instead of the separate chamber you mentioned in your other post, I wonder if sheet metal column in the main chamber with the light bulb in the middle and the fan at one end blowing in would do it? Have the same effect of blowing air over the bulb, but shielding most of the light.

Guntr said:

This is almost exactly what I was thinking about. Instead of the separate chamber you mentioned in your other post, I wonder if sheet metal column in the main chamber with the light bulb in the middle and the fan at one end blowing in would do it? Have the same effect of blowing air over the bulb, but shielding most of the light.

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I tried to do something similar in my ferm fridge build but mounting a fan on the end of a pipe would work, but is more difficult that you would expect unless you put some (not so) serious money into it (maybe $5). If the light is in a low location and a lowish wattage, convection will mix it up pretty well as long as there is room for the air to flow. I just ended up using a clamp light covered in foil and its working great actually, much better than the heating element I had planned on originally.

Guntr said:

Here's my problem. We use a programmable thermostat to keep our house at 20 C (68 F) during the mornings, evenings, and weekends, and drop to 15 C (59 F) during the daytime when we're at work and at night. This just about cuts our heating bills in half. Since I started brewing again I temporarily upped the daytime/night temp to 18 C (64 F).

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I don't think you really have a problem! Just because the ambient temp of your house fluctuates 9 degrees, doesn't mean that your fermenter is really changing that much. If you are concerned, start measuring the temp of the actual wort. Just merely putting a wrap/ blanket of cardboard box would help to stabilize the temps as well.

tonkota said:

Nice box from Hoquiam, my folks live north of you in Forks.

you should be able to pick up a digital thermostat online for about $15.

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They must be hating all the Twilight crap by now....or loving it if they are in tourism

I have a digital t-stat already, I just need to sit down and re-do it all.

The only mention of Twilight better be about the beer!



They aren't into it.

I built something similar to KiltedCorpse. I used a heat lamp (big red bulb) and a computer fan blowing on it. And it is controlled by a line level thermostat.

I don't think you need to worry about shielding your beer from the light. The lamp is only on for a few minutes a day, I'm sure I expose the beer to more light by opening the door to gaze at my beer.

I have the same issue especially with some yeasts that like it a little warmer. I went out and got a delongi oil heater (looks like a radiator) and then surrounded what I'm fermenting with a ring of reflectics and put the heater in the middle and then more reflectics on the top. Since I don't like to leave things on at night or when I'm away, I can have the heater come up to temp and then turn it off. The oil will give up heat and help maintain the temp. Not very automated but it's worked out so far. Did I mention the heater was originally for my wife? Now it's for my beer babies.